New Girl

I started a new contract yesterday. Although I should probably add the disclaimer that I’ve worked at this particular company before.

From memory, it was a lovely place to work – friendly people, great facilities (but truly awful parking – well, there had to be something didn’t there!).

From my first impressions yesterday, it is still all those things (and the parking is now even worse – ten minutes to find a spot, and then a fifteen minute walk from there to the office – not good!). My new role is also a little bit challenging, daunting and actually a little bit exciting. This time, I’m taking on a slightly meatier project, there are more expectations and it is all set within a very complex environment. That’s ok. I will simply do the best that I can.

My first day went better it had done in the previous contract. For a start, I’ve actually been able to log in to emails (although not to the systems I need to do any actual work). I’ve been given a tour of the essentials, had my first latte bought for me (and they have a real proper coffee shop – oh the joy!), and the team I will be working with spent the whole morning trying to unravel the very complex stuff I need to get to grips with, and had a sheet ready for me, explaining the issues and my priorities for my first few weeks.

If I compare this to the last contract – I had to call IT myself to sort out my access, and was constantly being harried along by my colleague/supervisor – even though she acknowledged there wasn’t much I could do, she kept asking me to call and chase anyway (not the best way to make friends with the IT department by the way). I had no tour, and had to do the New Girl walk of shame working out where everything was. I was given an urgent task to complete in the next two days, with a ten minute explanation from a junior who had only temporarily taken it on herself so it wasn’t much of a handover, more of a ‘chuck it over to someone else’.

Oh – and I’ve had a proper lunch break (in fact, I hand-wrote this blog in my lunch break). In the previous contract, it was three days before I took any kind of break at all. And when I mentioned I was writing a book? My manager offered the use of any of the meeting rooms if they were free, and I wanted some peace and quiet.
I know its early days and of course, things will change as I get stuck into the work. I know this week is the shiny wrapper week, and from next week things will get more real. But as first days go, it’s been good.

As an omen of that optimism, I’ve even got twenty minutes left to work on book number two, as I’ve been told not to rush back from lunch early!

I hope you’re having a good week too – if you’re struggling though, this might be worth checking out.